Councillors to debate monthly bin collection

Councillor Arnold Hatch

Craigavon councillors are set to debate the introduction of monthly bin collections after a decision to extend a pilot scheme at sister council Banbridge.

Despite Craigavon Council this week saying it has no plans to introduce the monthly collection, one local politician said it was on the agenda of the new Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon council in the ‘near future’.

Banbridge piloted the scheme for 1,500 homes and claimed that recycling rates rose by 40%. And there are warnings that people could have to contend with six bins when EU-driven rules come into effect in January.

Veteran Craigavon Ulster Unionist Arnold Hatch said: “It’s all to do with re-cycling and educating the public not to throw everything into the general rubbish bins – which are blue in the case of Craigavon.

“The green bins (for paper and plastic) and the brown bins (for garden waste) would continue to be lifted once a fortnight.

“And if people used these properly, less would go into the blue bins and the new order would work, with a four-week ‘lift’ of the blue bins, or whatever colour they are in the existing Banbridge and Armagh areas.

“Banbridge has the best record for re-cycling of any of the 26 current local authorities, which will be reduced to 11, and it will be interesting to know the findings of the pilot scheme.

“It is down for discussion in the ABC council in the near future. I think they would translate well into the larger area,” said Cllr Hatch.

Craigavon DUP Cllr Carla Lockhart said: “Bin collection is a vital front line service for our rate payers and any change in service can be problematic, therefore on behalf of the DUP we would not be supportive of any change to the current CBC service.

“With regards to the new ABC Council no discussions have taken place on this matter and therefore no decision has been made with regards to waste collection and how it will transform and unify going into the future.”